Storage battery.



No. 798,906. PATENTED SEPT. 5, 1905. A. E. KNIGHT. STORAGE BATTERY.

APPLIGATluN FILED Nov.1s, 1904.

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No. 798,906. PATENTBD SEPT. 5, 190-5. A. E. KNIGHT.

STORAGE BATTERY.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 16, 1904.

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No. 798,906. PATENTED SEPT. 5, 1905. A. E. KNIGHT.

STORAGE BATTERY.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 16. 1904.

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ALFRED E. KNIGHT, OF SOMERVILLE, i\l.f\SSACI-IUSE'1"S, ASSHrNOR TO JAMES H. CHURCHILL, TRUSIICE, OF QUINCY, MASSA()HUSIGTTS.

STORAGE BATTERY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1905.

Application filed November 16, 1904. Serial No. 232,973.

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Be it known that I, ALFRED E. KNIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing in Somerville, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an lmprovement in Storage Batteries, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to storage batteries, and has for its object to increase the life and efliciency of the same.

ln storage batteries the chemical combinations which take place increase in volume the oxids of lead formed on the positive plate or electrode, with the result that the said plate in time is caused by this increase or growth, as it is frequently called, to warp or buckle and sometimes to crack. In the case of a buckled plate it frequently occurs to such extent as to effect contact between the positive and negative plates of the battery, thereby producing' a short circuit and causing' very rapid deterioration of the plates and impaired service.

The present invention has for its object to overcome or at least reduce to a minimum the buckling or warping of the plates, which is due to expansion of the same, and for this purpose provision is made for restricting the buckling or distortion of the plates under the influence of expansion, so that soft-metal plates, such as lead plates, as well as composition plates, may be used for storage batteries without danger of short circuiting, thereby increasing the life and efliciency of the battery.

'.lhe buckling` or warping of the batteryplates may be prevented by means which guide the plate in its expansive movement and cause the same to move in a straight or substantially straight path, or the buckling may be minimized or localized, as will be described. l prefer to use both features in conjunction, or either alone may be used, as will be described.

Figure l is a vertical section of a storage battery provided with plates embodying this invention; Figs. 2, 3, and 4, details to be referred to; Fig. 5, a modified form of plate to be referred to; Figs. o and T, details in plan and perspective to be referred to; Fig. 8, a front elevation of another modified form of plate to be referred to; Fig. 9, an end elevation of the positive and negative plates ernployed in the cell shown in Fig. l; and Figs. l0 to 3?), inclusive, modifications to be referred to; Fig. 3l, a detail in side elevation of the supporting-plate shown in Fig. l, and Fig. 35 a plan view of a modilied form of g'uide to be referred to.

-Referring to Fig. l, fr represents one form of storage-battery cell such as new commonly used in electric-light plants, it comprising a wooden box or cell provided with a lead lining I and glass plates c, upon which rest the plates (Z i of the storage battery by means of lugs f, the said plates being provided on one side with longer arms or lugs y, to which the usual bus-bars or conductors (not shown) are connected. 'lhe plates A are arranged in pairs, the plate r/ being` the positive plate and the plate n being the negative plate, and said plates in practice are arranged substantially close together and are separated by glass rods i, which are arranged at suitable distances apart. The present invention has for its object to prevent or reduce to a minimum buckling or warping of the plates, and especially the positive plates il, and this result may be accomplished by providing a guide for the plate in its expansive Inovement, whereby the plate in its expansive movement may be guided or directed in a substantially straight path, or the buckling of the plate may be localized by one or more slots or cuts formed in the plate and extended to one side or edge thereof, and while l prefer to employ both methods in conjunction I do not desire to limit my invention in this respect, as good results may be obtained with either alone. In the present instance l have shown the positive plate (l as provided with a plurality of slots which extend from one side or edge toward but not to the opposite side or edge of the plate, so that the latter' is composed of an unslotted portion m, from which extend a pluralityof arms `n, separated from cach other by slots or spaces '/i', which may be of any desired width and sufficient to allow for the expansion of the metal laterally with relation to said slot without making contact with adjacent arms. In the present instance the slots f are shown as extending from the lower edge or side of the plate toward the upper end thereof, and said slots may be made straight, as represented in Figs. 1, 2,

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and 9, or they maybe curved, as represented in Fig. 5, or they may be of other forms. The arms or stripsv a formed by the slots may have cooperating with them a guide Q, extended transversely of the arms and so constructed as to allow the arms to expand laterally, yet such as to guide the said arms in their expansive movement and cause them to expand in a straight or substantially straight path. In Figs. 1 and 2 the guideo is shown as composed of side bars connected by end bars q and by intermediate bars fr, which form openings s, through which are extended narrower end portions or lingers w of the arms n, the guide being secured to the plate by pins 40 of lead or other suitable material extended through the fingers w and upon which the side bars of the guide rest. (See Figs. 2 and 9.) The pins 40 are shown separately in Fig. 3. The openings s are made longer than the width of the ngers Q0, so as to permit the latter to expand 'freely in a lateral direction. The plate Z may also be guided, it' so desired, by means of lugs or projections 37 on the plates, which extend through slots 38 in the supporting-plates c. The slots 38 may be made separate from each other, as represented in Figs. 1 and 34, or they may be connected to form one continuous slot.

In Fig. 4 the guide ois shown as open at its ends, the end bars q (shown in Fig. 2) being omitted.

In Figs. 5, 6, and 7 the guide 0 is shown as a bar provided with a groove 43, having openings s at its opposite ends through which the fingers w on the outside arms u, may extend, the intermediate arms of the plate extending into the groove 43, but not through the same. The guide 0 shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7 may have notches 45 formed in its opposite sides for the passage of the spacing rods or bars In Fig. 1 the spacing' rods or bars z' terminate above the guide. In Fig. 5 the guide is secured to the plate by pins 40, which extend` through the fingers fw.

Figs. 10 to 33 and Fig. 35 show various modifications of guides and the manner of securing them to the plates. In Figs. 10 and 11 the guide 0 is shown as a bar provided with a groove 43 and the pins 40 extend through the side walls of the groove and the plate d. In Figs. 12 and 13 the guide 0 is shown as two side bars pinned to the plate. In Figs. 14 and 15 the guide o shown in Fig. 5 is represented in end view and plan. In Figs. 16 and 17 the guide 0 is shown without end walls and the pins 40 extend through the guide and plate. In Fig. 18 the guide 0 shown in Fig. 8 is represented in end elevation, the guide being shown as a grooved bar which is provided with a groove 60'on its under side to fit over the uprights or supports 61. In Fig. 19 the guide 0 shown in Fig. 2O is provided with a single slot through which the plate extends and the pins 40 are extended through slots 62 in the sides of the guide-bar. In Fig. 21 the guide 0 is shown as a flat bar which is inserted between the forked lower end of the plate and rests on the pins 40, which extend through the forks of said plate. In Fig. 23 the guide 0 is shown as a triangular-shaped bar about which the end of the plate is folded. In Fig. 25 the guide 0 is shown as a round rod or bar about which the end of the plate is folded. In Fig. 27 the guide 0 is shown as two rods about which the lower edge of the plate is folded, the latter being split for this purpose to form lingers 65, and alternate iingers are folded around the rods. In Figs. 29 and 30 the guides are shown as two iiat bars which iit into recesses or channels 67 in the plate and are pinned thereto. In Figs. 31 and 32 the guide is shown as a grooved bar having holesin thebottom wall of the groove through which fingers 68 are inserted and bent to secure the guide to the plate. In Fig. 33 is shown a side elevation of the construction represented in end elevation in Fig. "25. In Fig. 35 the guide 0 is shown as a sheet provided with slots 70, through which the lower ends of the plate d may extend.

From the above description and illustrations it will be seen that 'the tendency of the positive plate to buckle is resisted by the guide 0, which causes the said plate as it expands to move in astraight or substantially straight path, thereby avoiding the injurious etfects above noted. I may prefer to employ the guide with a positive plate which is slotted to form arms; but I do not desire to limit my invention in this respect, as the guide may be used to advantage with a jplate which is not slotted or the slotted plate may be used without the guide. In this latter case the buckling of the arms a may not be entirely prevented, but it will be localized and contined to the individual arms, with the result that'the slotted plate will not be buckled to any material extent even after long use.

The invention herein described is adapted to be used with the harder or composition plates now commonly employed in storage batteries; but it is especially eflicient, inasmuch as it enables the plates of the battery to be made of soft metalssuch, for instance, as soft lead-without danger or' the soft-metal plates buckling to such extent as to injure the plate or impair the eiiiciency of the bat- IOO IIO

tery and at the same time materially increasing the life of the battery and reducing the cost of maintenance of the same.

In Fig. 1 it will be seen that the plate at its upper end rests on the supports c and is practically anchored at that end, while the lower end of said plate is unsupported and is free to expand.

I prefer to havethe slots In extend to the side or edge of the plate and to have the arms disconnected at the side or edge of the plate; but I wish it to be understood that if the arms should be connected at the side or edge ot' the plate by a tilm or strip of metal so thin as to be readily broken by the expansive action such construction l deem within the scope ot my invention. ln practice the positive plate is extended below the negative plate to avoid a short circuit by contact ot' the guide with the negative plate and also to attord ample clearance Ytor any sediment which might drop between the two plates and be liable to lodge on the said guide.

l claim* l. Vln a storage battery, in combination, a battery-plate provided with slots extended 'from one edg'e or side to form arms having their edges separated t'rom one another, a guide loosely applied to the plate and extended transversely of said arms to direct said arms in their expansive movement laterally, and means to secure said guide to said plate.

Q. In a storage battery, in combination, a positive plate, a guide loosely applied to said plate and cooperating with one edge ot' the said plate to permit expansion ot' the same and yet resist buckling ot' said plate, and means to secu re said guidev to said plate.

3. In a storage battery, in combination, a battery-plate suspended at its upper end and having its lower end tree, and means loosely applied to said plate transversely thereo'tl to permit free lateral movement o'tl said plate and to guide the same in its lateral movement, t'or the purpose specil'ied.

L 1n a storage battery, in combination, a plate suspended at its upper end and having its lower end `tree, and means loosely applied to the lower free end ot' said plate to permit lateral expansion yet resist buckling ot' said plate.

5. In a storage battery, in combination, a positive plate and a negative plate, one ot' the said plates being extended-below the other, and a guide cooperating with a portion ot' the plate extended below the other to permit expansion and yet Aresist buckling ot' the plate which is extended below the other, said guide beingl loosely applied to the plate with which it cooperates, substantially as described.

6. In a storage battery, in combination, a l

battery-plate, supports `for the opposite sides ot' said plate provided with slots` and means attached to said plate intermediate its ends and extended loosely into said slots to move therein and guide tbe plate in its expansive movement, substantially as described.

T. ln a storage battery, in combination, a'

battery-plate provided with a projection intermediate its ends, and means having' a slot into which said projection is loosely extended to permit movement ot' said projection in said slot t'or guiding said plate in its expansive movement. substantially as described.

8. In a storage battery, in combination, a battery-plate substantially anchored at one end and havingl its opposite end tree to cxpand in one direction, and means loosely applied to said plate and cooperating' with the 'tree end thereof to permit expansion ot' the plate in a dii'ection substantially at right angles to the lirst-mentioned direction and yet resist the buckling or distortion ot' the plate by the expansion in the second-mentioned direction.

9. ln a storage battery, in combination, a plate, a support for one side of said plate provided with a slot, means attached to the said plate intermediate its ends and extended loosely into said slot to move therein, and a guide loosely applied to one edge otl said plate to permit expansion et' the same and yet resist buckling ot' the said plate, substantially as described.

l0. In a storage battery, in combination, a battery-plate in a substantially non-oxidized condition substantiallyanchored at one end and having its opposite end free, and means loosely applied to'the free end of :aid plate to permit free lateral movement of said plate as it is oxidized and yet resist buckling otl said plate under the influence ot' such oxidation, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specilication in the presence otl two subscribing witnesses.

ALFRED E. KNIGHT.

Witnesses:

Jas. H. Gnnncmm., J. MURPHY. 

